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"My New Game"

Writer

Director

Air date

“And so, by the power vested in me by the American Bar Association, I pronounce you ex-husband and ex-wife. You may now do whatever the hell you want!”— Ted

"My New Game" is the third episode ofScrubs' fourth season. A technicality results in Dr. Cox and Jordan finding out they're still married. Meanwhile, J.D. does not get the respect he craves as Co-Chief Resident and feels guilty when he allows Turk to do a surgery which went wrong when Todd was meant to.

Contents

Dr. Cox and Jordan Sullivan find out they are still technically married, due to a legal mishap-Ted and Dr. Cox had signed the wrong papers. They find that the dynamic of their relationship changes for the worst as they get used to being husband and wife, again. In the midst of this, Cox is being pestered by Molly as they jointly treat Miss Myers (a facial reconstruction patient). Miss Myers preferred her face before the surgery, and asks about more surgery. Molly argues that she should be allowed more surgery, but Cox thinks her body has been through too much trauma already. Molly goes behind Cox's back and Miss Myers has the surgery. When Dr. Cox speaks to her about this she asks him that if he was happier before wouldn't he want to go back to the way it was. Cox recognizes that he was happier when he was divorced and rushes home to ask Jordan for a divorce. Cox and Jordan have a wedding-like divorce ceremony presided over by Ted, and Cox gains newfound respect for Molly.

J.D. tries to take off the "co-chief" sign

As Chief Resident, J.D. now earns more money than Turk. He begins giving out money to him and other employees for trivial things, but Janitor sees that J.D. has gotten an ego boost from his promotion, and prompts the entire Hospital (and J.D.'s mother) to call him the 'Co-Chief Resident' to bring him back down to earth. Elliot, still scorned from their break up, remains the Chief Resident. Janitor does such a good job that even Dr. Kelso takes notice; $10 a month is taken out of the Co-Chief's paycheck and given to the Chief. Elliot enjoyed being the lone Chief Resident, because for the first time since J.D. dumped her she didn't feel like a victim, and people had stopped patronizing her. J.D. voluntarily keeps the Co-Chief title.

J.D. sends a patient to the O.R. early so that Turk can do a surgery originally assigned to The Todd. When the patient dies, J.D. worries that he has toyed with fate, and Turk feels like J.D. doesn't have faith in him as a surgeon anymore. At Cox's divorce, Turk says that J.D.'s faith in him has gotten him to where he is today, and that his confidence was shaken. The two make up by the end, bonding over beer and wearing the purple leather jumpsuits from the 'Eddie Murphy Raw'.

Janitor thinks that J.D.'s new role as Chief Resident has made him to a "little too big for his britches", so he takes it upon himself to be J.D.'s "britches shrinker". His first order of business is to convince everyone in the hospital that J.D. is only the 'Co-Chief' and Elliot the Chief. The new title sticks, making J.D. miserable.

“Even though councilman Donovan was handcuffed to that chair because he was once again flying high on crystal meth, his respect felt good. Honestly, it's the reason I keep voting for him.”— J.D.'s narration

It is never revealed if Ted divorced his wife again, but it can be assumed so because he starts dating Stephanie Gooch in Season 8.

The 'New Game' referred to in the title is 'Gravel'. You can play Gravel by filling a person's shoe with gravel when they're not looking. During the course of the episode, Turk, Carla and Elliot all get Graveled. J.D. came up with idea when he found his shoes filled with gravel after taking a shortcut through a quarry.

It could, also, refer to the Janitor's new "game", being J.D.'s "britches shrinker."

"My New Game" can also be a reference to J.D.'s new chief/co-chief resident job as the 'game' can refer to the job.